Adjustable arch-support.



P. W. LOWE.

ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED 1mm, 1908.

912,584, Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

FRANK W. LOWE, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE ARCH-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed April 2, 1908. Serial No. 424,702.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK 1V. Lown, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Adjustable Arch-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

Arch supports which are of the class adapted to be inserted in a shoe, and which are most generally used, are made of metal which is practically without elasticity, so that the instep supporting portions may be bent into different positions to support the arch according to conditions. The pressure upon the support often causes the metal to yield, so that it is necessary to bend it back into position again, and frequent bending weakens the metal, so that it finally breaks.

The object of my invention is to provide an adjustable arch support of inexpensive construction which may be made of flexible material, which is'elastic, and therefore will not break if repeatedly bent. I accomplish this object by the means shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of slightly modified forms of my invention.

According to my invention 1 provide a sheet-metal base-plate a which is preferably fiat and sufiiciently flexible and elastic to enable it to conform readily to the curvature of the bottom of the shoe and a longitudinally curved arch supporting plate I), which is mounted at its ends on said base plate, said supporting plate being also constructed of flexible and elastic sheet metal and both of said plates being of such width and length as may be required under diiferent conditions. The base plate a is provided with a series of rectangular shaped apertures a, a adjacent one-end thereof, and, in the-construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the arch supporting. plate I; is continuous with the plate a at its end opposite the apertures a, f

(4 and lies fiat upon the plate a adjacent the point where the metal is bent. The bent metal which connects these plates is preferably reinforced with rivets c. The opposite end of the support I) from rivet c is cut away at each side to provide a tongue I), and shoulders Z1 at each side thereof, said tongue being adapted to enter either of said apertures or sockets a or a so that the shoulders b may rest on the upper side of the plate,

' ters Patent is as shown. Asthus'held, the plate 6 extends upwardly and downward in a curve, so that its highest point, with relation to plate a, is at about the middle thereof. If the tongue 7) is inserted in the socket or aperture a which is nearest the middle of plate a, the

curvature of said plate 7) will be greater and consequently its middle portion will be higher, as indicated in the dotted position of Fig. 2, than it will be when the tongue is in the outer aperture (1 It will be apparent that the height of the middle portion of the support I) may be varied, according to conditions, by merely moving the tongue I) from one aperture and placing it in another, and it will be obvious that other apertures, similar to apertures a, a may be formed in plate a, to enable the supports to be adjusted through a wider range than that shown.

The upper side of the support I), and of the portion of the plate a which extends beyond the ends of said support, are preferably covered by a piece of leather (1, which is secured at oneend to the plate a by the rivets c to hold it in place.

In Fig. 3 the construction shown is substantially the same as in Fig. 2, except that the permanent connection between the plates a and b is not formed by doubling the plates upon themselves, but by securing them with rivets c. In Fig. 4 a similar construction is shown except that the bottom plate m is provided with apertures m, m at one end and a similar, aperture m at the other end thereof, and the arch-support n is provided with tongues'n at both ends similar to the tongue 6', before described, said tongues being adapted to enter said a ertures to hold the support in place and ad ust it to various heights as willbe obvious.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letl. An arch support comprising a base plate having an aperture therein, a convexly-curved, arch-supporting plate supported at each end on said base plate, said supporting plate being adapted to enter said aperture at one end and having a transversely extending shoulder adjacent said end disposed to engage the upper side of the base plate, substantially as described.

2. An arch-support comprising a baseolate having a plurality of apertures therein, and a convexly curved, arch-supporting plate mounted at each end on said base- Intestimony whereof, I have signed my plate, said supporting-plate beingadapted name to this specification in the presence of to enter said apertures at one end and havtwo subscribing Witnesses.

ing transversely extending'shoulders adja- FRANK W. LOWE. cent said end disposed to engage the upper Witnesses: surface of said base-plate, substantially as L. H. HAINMAN,

described. H. B. DVIB. 

